Sealing ring



' Aug. 10, 1943. v. I. MCCARTHY 2,326,545

SEALING RING Filed Nov. 25, 1940 J 45364, fi Thy MM! CQTTO m ya Patented Aug. 10, 1943 1 SEALING RING Vern I McCarthy, Maywood, 'IlLQassignor to Vulcan Stampingxia Mfg. 00., Bellwood, 111., a. corporation of Illinois Application November 25, 1940, semis... 366,965

2 Claims. (01. 220-61) j The invention relates to sealing rings for clamping the covers to metal pails, drums, barrels and similar containers, and more particularly to an improved sealing ring of the continuous type which must be torn, broken or otherwise severed to permit removal of thecover from the container. V

Sealing rings of the above general character are used extensively for closing cylindrical metal containers which are formed with a bead around the open end. After the container has been filled, a flanged cover is placed thereon withits flange seated on the bead of the container. The sealing ring is then slipped over the cover flange and, as the cover is pressed firmly into sealing engagement with the bead, therlower'edge of the ring is turned or clinched under the bead tohold th cover securely in place. To open the container, the ring is opened by tearing, after which it may be pulled free of the cover fiangeand bead sothat the cover may be lifted from the container.

As heretofore constructed, sealing rings arranged for removal in the above manner have been found objectionable because of difficulties experienced in opening the containers to which they are applied and because therings when. torn or broken for removal, often present sharp slivers which are dangerous to the workmen handling the same. With this in View, the primary object of the present invention is to overcome the above objections by. providing a sealing ring of novel and improved construction which is easy to open and which breaks cleanly sothat it is safe to handle. Y

Another object is to provide a novel sealing ring capable of being broken or severed in a single operation by. means of a simple tool such as a screw driver.

A iurther object is to provide an improved sealing ring which when applied to a container is substantially tree of bulges orprojections liable to catch the clothing or injure the hands oi workmen handling the containers.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel sealing ring which can rbe manufactured Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sealing ring 7 embodying the features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View showing the ends of breaking of the ringthe strip from which the final assembly.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top view of the finished ring showing the ends of the strip in assembled isapplied to thebreakable section of the ringp Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the ring showing thefinal step in the breaking operation. I

Fig. 8 is a-perspective view of one end of the ring forming stripshowing the transverse inden 1 tations or corrugations which promote clean Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective viewshowing the manner in which the ring is formed to accurate size.

For purposes ofillustration, I have shown the improved sealing ring in a form particularly suitable for use with a conventional metalcontainer such as a cylindrical drum loci the type having a bead l I rolled around the open end as shown in Figs. 4-6. Such containers'are adapted to be closed bya telescoping metal coverj l2 having a; peripheral flange l3 seating onthe bead .I A I gasket M of rubber or other suitable material I may be interposedbetween the cover flange, and the bead. 1

The sealing ring in its preferred prises an annular top or cover flange engaging portion 55 and a. depending side wall portion 56.

dimensioned to fitrover thebead ll of the container as shown in Fig. 4; The side wall portion ltis arranged to extend substantiallybelow the bottom of the bead I I when the cover is pressed down tightly thereon so that it may be turned or clinched u nder the bead as. shown in Fig. 5

Notches I! are cut at-spaced points along the lower edge of the sidewall tocompensate for thechangein the diameter of the turned-under. portion and prevent the formation of unsightly bulges or projections which are liableto catch on the work the clothing or injure the; hands of men handling the containers.

After the sealing ring has been applied in the f 7 above manner, the container can be opened only by-breaking,tearing or otherwise severing the ring is formed beforeform comringso that it can be pulled free of the bead and cover flange. To facilitate opening of the container, the ring is constructed to provide a novel tearing or breaking section including a relatively narrow Strip or tongue [8 adapted to be broken I in a single operation by a simple tool such as a screw driver.

To form the breakingsection above referred to,

the ring is .preferably constructed from a'fiat,

elongated strip of metal having the tongue [8 projecting longitudinally from one end. The

other end ofthe strip is provided with an elongated transverse slot I9 adapted to snugly're- I ceive the tongue. The strip is bent into generalapplied to a container so that it is readily acces-- h sible for engagement by a tool T (see Fig. 6).

In assembling the ring, the tongue 18 is inserted through the slot l9 from the rear and bent inwardly to position the end'portion in closely fitting contact with the wall of the ring.

Preferably a narrow space 2 (Fig. 3) is left between the tongue and wall adjacent the slot I9 to facilitate the insertion of the tool. The tongue may then be rigidly secured to the adjacent wall portion in any suitable manner, as for ex'arnple, by spot welding. The weldispreferably made closely adjacent'th'e outer end or tip of the tongue but in any case it is spaced a sufiicient distance from the slot is to providefor thefinsertion of the tool blade T between the tongue and the ring. Y

As the tongue i8 is somewhat weakened by bending at the point of emergence from the slot l9 (see 3) the insertion of the tool blade behind the tongue will serve to break it on squarely substantialiy at that point. A break of, this character is advantageous because of the-absence of long, sharp slivers that might injure the work- 7 man removing thelring and that make'theidiscarded ringdangerous to handle. A series-of transverse indentations or corrugations '22 (Fig;

8) formed on the inner surface of the tongue,

connection it will be noted thatthe tongue l8 may be formed and-the slot [9 and notches ll may be cut in the strip by a simple stamping operation before it is bent into the final shape shown in Fig. 1. I

The construction is further advantageous in;

- that sizing of the ring canbe readily effectedby,

assembling it on a suitable gauge or mandrel 2?;

(Fig. :9) having an outside diameter-'corresponding to the desired diameter of the ring. The ring is placed over the gauge and squeezed tightly against the same, the tongue [8 being thereby cforced into a predetermined relation to the slotted end of the ring. While the ring is thus held, a welding electrode 24 may be applied thereto to spot weld it to the body of the ring. Thus, rings of'uniform accurate diametercan be produced quickly and inexpensively by reason of the novel construction employed.

-It will be apparent from the foregoing that the invention provides a sealing ring of novel and improved construction, particularly suitable for clamping the covers to sheet metal drums and similar containers. The ring when applied to thedrum,is neat and attractive in appearance. For opening the container, the ring may be quickly and easily broken in a single operation by means of a simple tool such as a screw driver. Dueto the novel form of construction of the breaking section of the ring, the break is clean so that the discarded ring is safe to handle.

Iclaim as my invention:

1. A sealingring forclamping a flanged cover to a bead encircling the open end of a metal container, said ring beingformed from a strip of metal bent into generally circular configuration with the respective ends in overlapping relation and shaped to provide flange and bead engaging portions, -means providing a breakable connection between the ends of the strip comprising a tongue projecting from the inner end of the strip through a slot in the outer end of the strip and extending closely adjacent the outer surface thereof, a weld securing-the end portion of the V tongueto the outer en-d'o'fthe strip at a point spaced from said slot to provide for the insertion of a tool between the tongue and the ring, a portion of the tongue adjacent said slot being weakened by transverse indentations on its inner surface arrangedto cause the tongue to-break off squarely upon application of the tool thereto. 7 2. A sealing ring for securing a cover to a container having a bead encircling its open end providing a seat for the cover, said sealing ring comprising a metal strip bent into circular configuration with the ends'oi the strip overlapping, an inwardly turned flange on the upper edge of the strip providing an annular cover engaging element, the adjacent portion of the strip forming a depending side wall adapted to fit over the bead of the container and to be clinched thereunder, connecting means permanently connecting the overlapping ends of the strip to form a continuous ring, said connecting means including a relatively narrow extension on the underlying end-of the strip projecting outwardly through a transverse slot in theoverlying' end of the strip then forwardly closely adjacent the wall portion of the ring and having its tip'rigidly attached to the ring the point of attachment andsaid slot constituting spaced bearings for the extension on the overlying end of the ring so-that the extension can be readily broken by insertion of a suitable tool between the extension and the wall portion of the ring intermediate saidbearings.

.V RN 1. CC RTHY. 

